Ad Astra
by 0Skye0
Summary: "Sometimes I can only hope that others will grow to care for and love her as I do… But I know that more often than not, she will not allow them such a thing." Malva Sackville-Baggins. Loyal, Childish and Wilful, yet as bright and familiar as the stars above. This is her story, and all those that intertwine with it. AU-ish, a mix of both bookverse and filmverse.


**:-: Chapter I :-:**

_"In slumber now and thence to dream_

_of space-time's stirred and curving sweep,_

_where stellar furies set agleam_

_the velvet thrall of endless deep."_ - Mark Peterson

She had sat in such a way for hours, the long stalks of grass tickling against her bare legs. Her eyes were wide and glassy, accompanied by the slight o-shape of her mouth, the corners curving gently as she took in more of the vast velvet sky before her. The stars shone brightly that night, their light almost overwhelming to the awe-struck girl, each one a carefully placed diamond pin, precise and dazzling upon a skirt of hallowed indigo. She might have sat that way for hours, days, months and years, had it not been for the bumbling steps of another entirely new creature.

The hobbit, in his red velveteen jacket with golden buttons that glowed in a dull, amiable manner, was enjoying the cool night air, very much the opposite of the stifling atmosphere of the Green Dragon. The Bywater Pool stirred upon occasion, the frigid currents swirling in the shallow lake. The halfling had stopped his ambling, not too far from where the girl sat, taking a brief moment to sigh as the lines upon his forehead relaxed. His hands patted at his pockets, searching for a pinch of pipe-weed that was usually upon his person. As he pulled a long, carved pipe carefully from his jacket, he took a moment to cautiously glance to his left and right, prior to returning to his quest for the desired long-bottom leaf. His hands froze however, his eyes darting upwards to his right-hand side once more, focusing upon the child who sat only a few steps away upon the waters' banks.

He might have noticed the embroidered silk that hung from the child, the edges tattered and the pure white splattered with dirt and debris. The deep brown stains seemed particularly prominent along her shoulders, the colour that might have once been maroon lining her throat, curving into the hollows above her collar bone. No, he did not see these at first. Instead, he saw the ripped shreds that stuck out from the sides of her face, replacing what might have once been ears. Thick, congealed blood coated the wounds, her surrounding hair matted with the sticky substance. The hobbit took this all in rather too quickly, the sight causing him to release an altogether uncharacteristic squeak, the piercing noise destroying the previous silence.

The girl jumped violently, her head snapping to her left as the interruption distracted her from her gazing. Yet, she did not bolt or move from her place. In fact, her rigidity increased, fingertips digging into the grass and earth, sequestering themselves within the soil in a locking embrace. Her eyes widened further, if that was at all possible, surveying the alien being before her. The hobbit himself gawked back at the strange child, both persons entirely too confused to mutter a sound. After a moment, the child's eyes drifted back to the sky, having already grown indifferent to the sight before her. Her position seemed to slump, her arms relaxing as she stared at the glowing constellations. The halfling, however, was rather put out by the child's reaction towards meeting a stranger, her tranquil pose altogether baffling the young hobbit. He eyed her once more, watching her expression change as she looked towards the sky. That gaze… it was a familiar yet unfamiliar emotion that filled her eyes and reminded him of something, something that tickled on the edges of his memory, taunting him with a nostalgia and the honest ability to simply remember, yet danced away when he neared the truth, remaining as it had been from the beginning. A memory. A nameless feeling. But, a feeling that he knew had to hold importance. It just had to.

Raising a clutched hand to his mouth, the hobbit cleared his throat, once, twice, three times, both to catch the girl's attention once again as well as ready himself to deal with something highly unexpected. The girl's eyes flashed towards him, the dismay of being distracted evident in her expression.

"I… G-good evening miss." The hobbit said, albeit quietly. No response. He thought that perhaps he might have been too quiet. Her ears where, after all… not quite as they should be. He repeated the greeting once more, thought to no avail.

"Good evening!" No response. The girl cocked her head, confusion painting her features. He tried again, a different question in case she was not familiar with traditional greetings, although he himself knew that it was an impossible hope.

"W-what is your name?" A tremor shook his voice, his nervousness overtaking him as he realised the situation at hand was not ordinary. It was not simple, nor would it be easy to overcome.

"Ll-le rangwa a-akin?" The elvish that his mother had taught him was a fairly distant memory, the words coming out stunted and incorrectly pronounced, but as words nonetheless. The child's head cocked, perhaps a hint of recognition appearing in her eyes. However, in a moment it was gone, replaced with a grim expression as she shook her head silently. The hobbit then proceeded to run through as many different variations of elvish as he could recall, but all his attempts proved to be futile. The girl seemed to grow more confused and fearful with every passing question, as if the reality of her circumstance was becoming obvious to her, the glowing of the stars no longer able to divert her attention from the truth. Her small frame began to shake violently, the onset of tears causing her face to crumple and redden. The hobbit began to panic, unsure how to calm a young girl, having been an only child with no siblings or children to speak of. The girl began to whimper, the whimpers turning into sobs before descending into howls. If only to stop her weeping, he offered his hand to the small stranger, a gesture of surprising kindness that was rare from a hobbit who hardly liked to involve himself in the unusual.

"Are you alright? I'll take you somewhere safe. We have food, and plenty of it. Fire too, and beds." His hand remained outreached, the child staring at it uncertainly. He supposed it was to be expected. Trusting strange creatures whom you could hardly understand wasn't exactly a good habit to make.

"Please. You can't stay out here all night." His tone had turned to one of pleading, as upon closer inspection he could see that the wounds on the side of her face where not entirely healed. Fresh blood trailed down her cheeks, and the need for haste was suddenly all the more obvious.

"My name is Bilbo Baggins. You'll… you'll just have to trust me." The defeat was blatant in the hobbit's voice, his hand falling away. How, and why would a child trust a stranger? Particularly a bumbling, awkward one who had hardly a clue what to do. However, his sinking hand was quickly caught and prevented from falling further by the addition of a tiny hand within his own, unsure and nervous, however juxtaposed by the determination in the eyes of the little one, defiantly meeting his eyes directly.

"Ah. Good. Excellent…" Bilbo continued to mumble as he gently pulled the child to her feet. She stumbled at first, almost like a baby deer coming to terms with walking on its skinny legs for the first time. As the pair headed towards the glowing warmth of hobbiton and all those who inhabited it, the child cast one final, fleeting glance to the stars above, the lights burning themselves within her memory like the brand of a slave.

**AN: Well, um, hi! This is me, I guess. I haven't wrote anything like this in a while. It's something I've been planning in my head for a long, long time. This girl is probably my first and most developed OC, and I hope in my writing I can fulfil both any reader's and my own expectations. Thanks, -Skye**

**Llle rangwa akin - Do you understand me?**


End file.
